Pro Bono or Appointed Lawyer In a Child Custody or Child Support Case?

Before we get into the question on if one can get a Pro Bono or Appointed Lawyer In a NC Child Custody or Child Support Case, it is important to note that this organization is not a law firm, nor is this writer a lawyer. To get legal advice, contact a lawyer in your county. Nothing about this article should be considered legal advice. If you are the impatient type, the short answer is NO, the State of NC will not appoint a lawyer to represent you in a child custody or child support enforcement case regardless of how little income (or no income) you have. And, they really don’t care if the end result is that you never see your children again. Additionally, while lawyers in NC can decide who they represent and how much clients pay, this organization or any of it’s members have never heard of a lawyer in NC providing pro bono services to indigent or low income parents. Lastly, legal aid can not offer appointed lawyers in these matters as well. Many non-custodial parents in North Carolina believe that because they are facing jail over being impoverished and not being able to pay child support, that this is akin to a criminal matter for which appointed lawyers are routinely given. But, the reality is child custody and child support cases are considered civil matters and you are on your own.

In the same vein, many parents believe that lawyers in North Carolina would be outraged over parents being separated from their children because of a pay wall, but this is simply not the case. NC Fathers estimates that there are easily thousands, if not tens of thousands, of parents in NC who had the other parent leave the family home and will not allow the children to see the other parent which effectively puts the other parent in the position to find upwards of $20,000 just to secure the basic right to parentage. And quite frankly, no Judge, Lawyer, or Legislator in the State of North Carolina seems to care. But why? Again, for the impatient, CLICK HERE. For the long answer, keep reading…

Family Law in North Carolina is a massive business that keeps lawyers extremely wealthy. When two parents fight for 18 years in a unequal system, they continue to pay upwards of $20,000-40,000 over the life of the minor child. And this figure is PER PARENT. In short, lawyers need chaos in the NC Family Courts to ensure that the flow of money will continue. Additionally, the NC Legislature and Judicial Committees that could pass new laws to protect indigent and low income parents refuse to do so because they are Lawyers that are protecting their colleagues.

The only appointed lawyer that is available in child support cases is the one the State of NC appoints to handle the custodial parent’s interest in continued or increased child support. But before you get excited, there will be no appointed lawyer for the non-custodial parent who has to hire a attorney privately many times a year for 18 years as the custodial parent seeks more and more money.

So why is the State of NC providing pro bono or appointed attorneys for custodial parents and not custodial parents if the interest of the child is first and foremost in the minds of Judges and Lawyers, especially since children need BOTH parents to become well adjusted and successful adults? Because “in the best interest of the child” is a prop that Judges and Lawyers use to drive public policy and agendas. The fact is, the State of NC receives Title IV-D money on every dollar collected in child support that is then used for social services programs that custodial parents are gobbling up in record numbers. Therefore, it is in the best interest of the State of NC to provide a free lawyer for the custodial parent while creating hardship for the non-custodial parent because it insures that the non-custodial parent loses and child support will be increased.

As for receiving a pro bono (free) or appointed lawyer in a NC Child Custody case, even if there are allegations of criminal conduct that could sway the case, there is no possibility under law for you and your children to receive indigent care legally.

Since this issue ultimately affects NC non-custodial families at far greater depths than alienating and custodial parents, if you are reading this article as a non-custodial parent, step-parent, grandmother, or aunt/uncle, then we encourage you to review OUR GOALS and join our MAILING LIST and FACEBOOK PAGE so that we can build a massive organization of the estimated 5.5 million people who have direct ties to non-custodial families and understand the hardships we face.

Lastly, it is highly likely that other parents in North Carolina are searching for the data contained in this article and are wondering if there are any options available to get an appointed or pro bono lawyer in a child custody or child support matter in the NC Family Courts. With this in mind, we hope you will extensively and routinely share this article with other non-custodial parents using sites like Facebook and Twitter.

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